Work begins on city's new 200-mile walking trail

A team of volunteers have been marking the way for future explorers of the trail

A new 200-mile (323km) pathway around the circumference of Manchester is being created thanks to a £250,000 lottery grant.

Work has begun to point future walkers in the right direction, with dedicated volunteers making the trek between towns to put the signs up.

The route has been designed around existing footpaths and open access land in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

It is hoped the waymarking process will be completed by the summer of 2024.

With aims to be accessible for all, the 20-stage walking trail will start and end in Manchester city centre and all stages will be reachable by public transport.

Oldham and Bury sections of the GM Ringway are the first stages to be signposted by volunteers, who braved the wintery weather to start the process.

The small white disks, dubbed 'roundels', include a QR code to the trail's websites and were first put up across the 12.4-mile (20km) stretch between Greenfield and Newhey.

A team of three took eight hours to complete the task in dry but chilly conditions, said GM Ringway.

Andrew Read, GM Ringway's project lead, hoped the "handy waymarks" would ensure anyone hoping to explore nature in the region can do so without getting lost.

The trail will allow explorers to experience Greater Manchester’s natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, the GM Ringway added.

It is hoped the collaboration with a free walking and wellness app which guides users along the stages of the trail will encourage use of it.

The GM Ringway project has been led by two charities, the countryside charity (CPRE) and walking charity, The Ramblers.

A £250,000 national lottery heritage fund grant has supported the project, alongside grants from Transport for Greater Manchester and Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust.